The Presidential Communications Office (PCO) on Wednesday formalized a partnership with nine of the country’s leading newspapers to combat “fake news” and disinformation across digital and social media, aiming to protect the public from their harmful effects.
Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the PCO and its media partners committed to promoting transparency, fact-based reporting, media literacy, and responsible information sharing under Oplan Kontra Fake News, a coordinated initiative to curb false information that threatens public order, safety, and democratic processes.
Communications Secretary Dave Gomez signed the agreement with Business Mirror, Business World, Daily Tribune, Malaya Business Insight, Manila Bulletin, Manila Standard, Philippine Daily Inquirer, The Manila Times, and The Philippine Star.
The MOU underscores that freedom of speech and of the press, guaranteed under the 1987 Constitution, remains central to democratic governance.
It defines “fake news” as content that:
- Lacks factual basis or is materially misleading but presented as truth;
- Is deliberately created or shared to deceive;
- Causes identifiable public harm such as panic, violence, reputational damage, or interference in democratic processes.
“Disinformation thrives in darkness — in confusion, in distortion, in deliberate deceit. But truth has always been like daylight. And just as a magnifying glass focuses sunlight to reveal what is hidden, this collaboration concentrates the light of verified information, sharpening clarity and exposing falsehoods. In shining that light, we dispel the shadows where fake news attempts to hide,” Gomez said.
The partnership aims to enhance the dissemination of verified information, strengthen public trust in credible media institutions, promote media and information literacy, and enable rapid responses to disinformation during crises and disasters.
As part of the initiative, the PCO has launched an Anti-Fake News Desk, a mechanism for media partners and the public to report suspicious content.
Reports will be evaluated and referred to agencies such as the Department of Information and Communications Technology and the Department of Justice for appropriate action.
Beyond monitoring, the PCO pledged to pursue individuals and groups deliberately spreading disinformation online and engage with digital platforms like Meta and Google to address coordinated campaigns and promote accountability in the digital space.